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$50,000 Reward in Doctor's Murder (Coins Stolen)
DesertRat
Posts: 1,791 ✭
This appeared in our local paper yesterday and thought I'd post it since there were coins involved. Although they are kind of late in getting the story out and the coins have most likely been fenced already they were not your everyday coins so someone might have some info.
Reward grows in doctor's murder
$50,000 offered for information in Kadivar death
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Tuesday, January 30, 2007.
By VERONICA ROCHA
Valley Press Staff Writer
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LANCASTER, CA - A $50,000 reward was announced in the investigation of last summer's murder of a prominent Antelope Valley plastic surgeon, from whose rural ranch home detectives disclosed Monday were stolen a safe containing rare Iranian gold coins and other valuables worth more than $250,000.
Detectives believe the safe and two high-powered hunting rifles were stolen from Dr. Esfandiar "Steve" Kadivar's ranch at the time of his murder, although there was no evidence that the home was broken into, said Capt. Ray Peavy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau.
"This man was murdered in cold blood," Peavy said Monday during a news conference in Lancaster. "If we don't get help from the community, I really don't know which way we are going to go."
Kadivar, 64, was found shot to death July 5 outside a livestock pen at his 200-acre ranch near Avenue I and 120th Street West where he raised pistachio nuts, alfalfa, goats and sheep.
Kadivar, who practiced medicine in the Antelope Valley for more than 30 years, also had a home in Beverly Hills but kept the ranch because it reminded him of his boyhood in Iran, friends said.
Detectives believe Kadivar was unloading hay to feed goats and sheep when he was shot multiple times with a high-powered firearm, Peavy said.
A ranch hand found his body lying next to an old white Chevrolet pickup truck.
After his murder, homicide detectives talked to family members and found that several items were missing from the ranch, Peavy said.
Among the missing objects were a safe containing valuables including 30 or 40 rare and semi-rare Iranian gold coins, several of which were minted to memorialize the coronation of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , who was deposed by Islamic fundamentalists in the 1979 Iranian revolution. The coins were worth $200 to $400 each, Peavy said.
Also missing were two Browning hunting rifles with telescopic sights and custom stocks of "blond" wood. One rifle is a .300 Winchester magnum caliber and the other is a .30-06 caliber rifle.
Detectives are unsure whether one or both of the rifles fired the bullets that killed Khadivar, Peavy said.
"We are not sure what type of weapon killed the doctor," he said.
Detectives have no leads on possible murder suspects, Peavy said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and Kadivar's family have increased to $50,000 the $10,000 reward initially offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the murder.
Antonovich called Kadivar's murder a "tragic loss" for the Valley.
"He was an outstanding individual... and devoted family man," he said.
Kadivar's sister, Hakimeh , an ear, nose and throat physician, pleaded for the public's help during the news conference at the Lancaster Sheriff's Station.
"We repaired so many wounds in the Antelope Valley," she said. "We need your help to repair the wounds of the family."
She said her brother loved the Valley immensely.
"My brother didn't deserve this," she said. "He was too good."
Kadivar moved to the Valley in the mid-1970s and worked from a small Lancaster office on 10th Street West until 2003. Kadivar also had a medical practice in downtown Los Angeles.
Friend Mani Yomtubian said the Antelope Valley farm reminded Kadivar of growing up in Iran.
"He always wanted to have something like he had in Iran here in the Antelope Valley," she said.
Kadivar considered the ranch his home away from home and often went there alone to care for his livestock, friends said.
Son David said Kadivar enjoyed his life as a doctor and farmer.
"He never bothered anybody," he said. "He deserved more years. It was cut way too short."
vrocha@avpress.com
Reward grows in doctor's murder
$50,000 offered for information in Kadivar death
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Tuesday, January 30, 2007.
By VERONICA ROCHA
Valley Press Staff Writer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LANCASTER, CA - A $50,000 reward was announced in the investigation of last summer's murder of a prominent Antelope Valley plastic surgeon, from whose rural ranch home detectives disclosed Monday were stolen a safe containing rare Iranian gold coins and other valuables worth more than $250,000.
Detectives believe the safe and two high-powered hunting rifles were stolen from Dr. Esfandiar "Steve" Kadivar's ranch at the time of his murder, although there was no evidence that the home was broken into, said Capt. Ray Peavy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau.
"This man was murdered in cold blood," Peavy said Monday during a news conference in Lancaster. "If we don't get help from the community, I really don't know which way we are going to go."
Kadivar, 64, was found shot to death July 5 outside a livestock pen at his 200-acre ranch near Avenue I and 120th Street West where he raised pistachio nuts, alfalfa, goats and sheep.
Kadivar, who practiced medicine in the Antelope Valley for more than 30 years, also had a home in Beverly Hills but kept the ranch because it reminded him of his boyhood in Iran, friends said.
Detectives believe Kadivar was unloading hay to feed goats and sheep when he was shot multiple times with a high-powered firearm, Peavy said.
A ranch hand found his body lying next to an old white Chevrolet pickup truck.
After his murder, homicide detectives talked to family members and found that several items were missing from the ranch, Peavy said.
Among the missing objects were a safe containing valuables including 30 or 40 rare and semi-rare Iranian gold coins, several of which were minted to memorialize the coronation of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , who was deposed by Islamic fundamentalists in the 1979 Iranian revolution. The coins were worth $200 to $400 each, Peavy said.
Also missing were two Browning hunting rifles with telescopic sights and custom stocks of "blond" wood. One rifle is a .300 Winchester magnum caliber and the other is a .30-06 caliber rifle.
Detectives are unsure whether one or both of the rifles fired the bullets that killed Khadivar, Peavy said.
"We are not sure what type of weapon killed the doctor," he said.
Detectives have no leads on possible murder suspects, Peavy said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and Kadivar's family have increased to $50,000 the $10,000 reward initially offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the murder.
Antonovich called Kadivar's murder a "tragic loss" for the Valley.
"He was an outstanding individual... and devoted family man," he said.
Kadivar's sister, Hakimeh , an ear, nose and throat physician, pleaded for the public's help during the news conference at the Lancaster Sheriff's Station.
"We repaired so many wounds in the Antelope Valley," she said. "We need your help to repair the wounds of the family."
She said her brother loved the Valley immensely.
"My brother didn't deserve this," she said. "He was too good."
Kadivar moved to the Valley in the mid-1970s and worked from a small Lancaster office on 10th Street West until 2003. Kadivar also had a medical practice in downtown Los Angeles.
Friend Mani Yomtubian said the Antelope Valley farm reminded Kadivar of growing up in Iran.
"He always wanted to have something like he had in Iran here in the Antelope Valley," she said.
Kadivar considered the ranch his home away from home and often went there alone to care for his livestock, friends said.
Son David said Kadivar enjoyed his life as a doctor and farmer.
"He never bothered anybody," he said. "He deserved more years. It was cut way too short."
vrocha@avpress.com
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